One week ago four Raiders were here for the day and, unbelievably, I emptied the kiln this afternoon to see all the finished plates. I had work by Philippe and Mina left from an earlier ‘Raid’ so I decided to just fill the kiln for the bisque and glaze firings and not make them wait for any of my work to be finished.

Marlene just had room for three others, Eric, Elizabeth and Philippe, in her little car last Wednesday. As usual it was a productive day with all four artists working until after tea-time! Lunch wound up being a tasty combination of good bread, cold cuts, a quiche and two salads. Potlucks always work out!

Philippe Raphanel was interested in a carved plate from Edmund de Waal’s Pot Book that Mina had discovered (see blog ‘Four February Raiders’ Feb 27/2017) and I explained that it had been made with red clay and that the carving/sgraffito had been done when the plate was leather hard. So, there and then, I showed him how I make plates with my slab roller. We chose the new-to-us Georgie’s Wonder White, I made two plates and I left them to dry in front of my studio’s ceramic space heater. Later in the day they were firm enough for him to carve and then apply underglazes in his usual experimental way. But he’d been so busy with some other plate ideas using colours and wax resist that he has one leather-hard plate stored here ready for his next trip out here.

Now that all the plates from two recent ‘Raids’ are finished I’ll ask Al to take some good photos tomorrow and post those as soon as I find some time.

Meanwhile my pots are awaiting handles and application of slips. But since last week I have thrown some yunomis and potential bird mugs, mixed up a big batch of a new clear glaze, primed a couple of new replacement wooden steps, emptied and loaded the kiln twice along with the waxing and glazing for the second firing, and today, packed up and shipped off ten jugbirds to Eclectic Gallery in Victoria. I hope Greyhound parcel service delivers them safely and soon. Maybe tomorrow will be a potting day. But I do find myself distracted by garden thoughts when the sun, bless it finally! comes out. Planters are waiting to be filled with annuals and things are growing apace now so need to be staked. And Raiders want more plates!